B.J. Raji put his pads on for Thursday’s practice inside the Don Hutson Center. During the portion of the workout open to reporters, Raji was doing some drill work and also some rehab work off to the side.

This marks Raji’s first participation in practice since injuring his ankle in Indianapolis in Week 5. He missed last Sunday’s game in Houston. He will most likely be listed as a limited participant in practice on the injury report.

Mike McCarthy will be providing a post-practice update.

Well that's good news since he hadn't practiced at all last week. Do you think we should still give Pickett more snaps if Raji can go?

Well that's good news since he hadn't practiced at all last week. Do you think we should still give Pickett more snaps if Raji can go?

Pickett should play more nose, especially on running plays, regardless. I would rotate those two pieces along the DE and NT spots throughout the game and with the remainder of the personnel on the DLine at End.

Part of the issue, I believe, with Raji is the number of snaps he is consuming at nose.. let him shift out some and maybe get him in more 1 on 1's or drawing more protection to the edge.

Pickett should play more nose, especially on running plays, regardless. I would rotate those two pieces along the DE and NT spots throughout the game and with the remainder of the personnel on the DLine at End.

Part of the issue, I believe, with Raji is the number of snaps he is consuming at nose.. let him shift out some and maybe get him in more 1 on 1's or drawing more protection to the edge.

Agreed 100%. Pickett should be the NT, at least most of the time in the 3-4, which is usually only running downs. He seems to eat and get through more blockers than Raji. Raji might be better off matching up against more possible 1 on 1's especially in the passing game.

I think Raji is the starting NT mostly due to hype. I haven't seen much from him this year, nor last year unless I'm missing something..

Is it more about forcing him into this position? Remember back when he was drafted, that he did not seem himself as the commanding double team 3-4 NT that the drafters necessary did. In any case, we need to find that guy if it is not Raji.

As of now, yes keep Pickett taking the snaps. Have Raji active and rotating limited at both NT and DE while he continues to heal. Rams and Jags we should not really need Raji. Let him get healthy like they have been doing with Jennings. But make sure he is around in case we have a goal line situation where we want those two combining for 680lbs in the middle.

Once he is healthy, move him around, keeping Pickett rested and playing DE. An interior version of Cullen just before we switched to the 3-4 when he was playing DE and shifted to DT on run plays.

As of now, yes keep Pickett taking the snaps. Have Raji active and rotating limited at both NT and DE while he continues to heal. Rams and Jags we should not really need Raji. Let him get healthy like they have been doing with Jennings. But make sure he is around in case we have a goal line situation where we want those two combining for 680lbs in the middle.

Once he is healthy, move him around, keeping Pickett rested and playing DE. An interior version of Cullen just before we switched to the 3-4 when he was playing DE and shifted to DT on run plays.

I like the DE idea. But on Goalline could cause problems recovering from an injury. I would like to see them rotate him around though but not a lot of 3rd downs, ecspecially long. He could be a liablity.

Well that's good news since he hadn't practiced at all last week. Do you think we should still give Pickett more snaps if Raji can go?

Good question

Pack93z said:

Pickett should play more nose, especially on running plays, regardless. I would rotate those two pieces along the DE and NT spots throughout the game and with the remainder of the personnel on the DLine at End.

Part of the issue, I believe, with Raji is the number of snaps he is consuming at nose.. let him shift out some and maybe get him in more 1 on 1's or drawing more protection to the edge.

Good answer

The #1 job of the NT is clog the middle and be prepared in case of a run play... to do that you have to start by playing two gap trying to protect on ether side of the lineman(men) in front of you. Pickett plays the best two gap on this team...

To pass rush normally you need to play one gap and rush up that gap and beat your guy. Pickett is probably the worst at one gap on this team, and that USED to be Raji strength though I haven't seen it lately.

I understand Raji is short and with his shorter arm it's not the best to get him working out against the OT and taller guys which a much longer reach... but why not have Pickett at NT at times and have Raki on an OG? ... like put Pickett between the C and RG and put Raji on the LG to rush up the field?

I know they wanted Raji to get on that Center and blow up the Center.. but I haven't seen him doing that too much in the last to years.

no one on this team does that better than Pickett. Problem is Pickett offers very little in pass protection.

Is it more about forcing him into this position? Remember back when he was drafted, that he did not seem himself as the commanding double team 3-4 NT that the drafters necessary did. In any case, we need to find that guy if it is not Raji.

I think that was because when they played 3-4 in college he was normally a 3-4 DE because they had their own Pickett like guy (named Ron Brace, plays for the Patriots) who they put at NT.

Rios39 said:

He played in a 4-3 defense, which is much easier to get a pass rush up front with. But his power DID show he had the ability to over power 2 college lineman at once

I remember watching Raji in college playing 3-4 a lot ... Raji was at 3-4 DE with his teammate Ron Brace (who's playing style is a lot like Pickett's) played at NT.

The difference being in college Raji could just over power the OG very easily and they didn't have such a long reach or power like they do in the NFL... where Raji is consider too short at 3-4 DE in the NFL.

But my favorite package which they did run some last year was Pickett at NT, Raji at DT lined up over the OG and one DE over the OT on the other side. The OLB on Raji side had to act a bit like a 4-3 DE but the Packers have the players for it... when/if Perry gets healthy, they could work very well, as Perry is physical enough to be a 4-3 DE and he's played it the last couple of years.

Notice how last week, the little we gave up on run plays was to the outside. Nothing up the middle where Pickett was.

I would line up Perry, Raji, Pickett, Worthy/Neal, Matthews. Pickett straight up on the C with Raji and Worthy/Neal outside shoulder of the Guards. If they double Pickett, have Hawk or Jones/whoever hit the hole to the Guards side the is on the double because that double is planned to move Pickett away from the run.

Would an offense really want to put a double on Pickett? Having Worthy and Matthews on the same side makes stunts a good possibility also.

Notice how last week, the little we gave up on run plays was to the outside. Nothing up the middle where Pickett was.

I would line up Perry, Raji, Pickett, Worthy/Neal, Matthews. Pickett straight up on the C with Raji and Worthy/Neal outside shoulder of the Guards. If they double Pickett, have Hawk or Jones/whoever hit the hole to the Guards side the is on the double because that double is planned to move Pickett away from the run.

Would an offense really want to put a double on Pickett? Having Worthy and Matthews on the same side makes stunts a good possibility also.

I like that idea and have called for a 5 man line like the Texans run as well. You're DBs will have to win some one on one match-ups in man coverage but the Packers have been expecting that for years out of their DBs... even before they got Woodson or Williams in they were expecting that.

And once in a while you drop a guy back into coverage... and/or drop one back and blitz an ILB.

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